GOP’s Porter opposes Berkley

Jace Radke

Tuesday, May 16, 2000 | 10:26 a.m.

Republican Congressional candidate Jon Porter kicked off his campaign Monday, laying out for 100 supporters the key differences between him and Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

Porter said that Berkley voted against the elimination of the death tax and health-care premium tax deductions and voted for an appropriations bill that contained $325 million for the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear dump.

"I'm adamantly opposed to Yucca Mountain and I think my opponent is to," Porter said. But he questioned Berkley's vote on a 1999 spending bill that sent $325 million to Yucca Mountain and gave the state about $40 million for other projects.

Berkley and her spokesman, Richard Urey, said the bill included $29 million to help with the state's flood control.

Urey added that Berkley has helped to gain 51 Democratic votes against the Yucca Mountain waste plan.

In addition, Urey said, Berkley voted against the 1999 Republican budget bill that included unrealistic tax cuts -- including end of the death tax and start of a health-care premium deduction -- and eliminated money for school construction and threatened Social Security and Medicare funding.

Porter said that his style of leadership is about getting things done, but not at the expense of the constituents.

"My style is getting the job done, but doing it by working with the community, and getting their input and suggestions," Porter, a current state assemblyman said.